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Seeking a Preschool in Plano or Close to Plano!

I am looking for a preschool for my son to start next fall. Does anyone have a preschool they could reccomend? One they LOVE, or ones they have had BAD experiences with. What should I look for, any tips on questions to ask??? I am trying to compile all the details to make an informed decision.
My son has a summer birthday so I would like to find a school that does offer an accredited kindergarten.
Thank you in advance for the information!!

Featured Answers

J.H.
answers from
Dallas
on
July 07, 2008

We love Parkwood Montessori at Windhaven and Parkwood. It's family owned and has a beautiful country cottage feel. They have swimming, a greenhouse and all their teachers are so friendly and certified!
www.parkwoodmontessori.com

More Answers

K.B.
answers from
Dallas
on
June 25, 2008

J.,
My daughter goes to Preston Park Montessori Academy! She loves it there and we are very pleased with the school, her teachers, and the owners of the school. My daughter will be going into Kindergarten in the Fall and she can read second grade level words and phrases. (I know every child learns at their own pace) I'm just saying the curriculum at her school is advanced for a preschool/daycare!
My only suggestions to you would be to visit every facility, meet the staff and teachers. Ask them questions one on one w/o the staff around. Even sit out in the parking lot and when you see parents pick up their children ask them how they like the school...what they like and don't like about the school. You will truly get honest answers! That's what we did! Just remember daycare/preschool is not perfect. It's the nature of their business. There is going to be turnover, and you are not going to agree with everything...just make your voice known, and have open communication of what is expected for the care and learning of your child.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Oh I forgot the number is ###-###-####, and it's located behind 24 hourfitness off of Preston Park.

Why do you want him to go to Kindergarten at a preschool? Just curious.
My kids go to Apple Creek Private Preschool in Allen. It's technically in Plano ISD and it's a great school. People travel from several cities to go there. Check it out. They fill up fast, so they may not have any openings anymore.
www.applecreekpreschool.comI would make sure that they have an open door policy for parents. It sketches me out when places won't let you just drop in. What are they trying to hide?
I dont think a preschool should be open earlier than 8 or past 3. Otherwise, it's a daycare and the teachers are daycare providers. That's a whole different ballgame then a preschool. You have to decide what you want.
I would check out the bathroom that the kids are supposed to use.
I would find out how long the teachers have been there. Teachers should be more constant. That's a big difference between preschools and daycares as well.
Good luck!

I can't say enought good things about them. First time we wanted to enroll daughter....we were in line at 4am!!! That is how great the program is. They now have a different style of enrolling but they are FAR worth it.
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We love Parkwood Montessori at Windhaven and Parkwood. It's family owned and has a beautiful country cottage feel. They have swimming, a greenhouse and all their teachers are so friendly and certified!
www.parkwoodmontessori.com

I absolutely love Children's Discovery Center at Christ UMC in Plano. My best tip is to pay careful attention to the teachers -- do they look like they are having fun? Ask about the turnover rate of the teachers if it is low -- you know something fantastic goes on at that place! They do not have an accredited K program, but they have a fantastic pre-k/transitional kindergarten program. That program goes 5 days a week, but the kids are only at school 9-2. I feel that is a great step up into real Kindergarten. It is about half kids with late b-days or parents that choose to delay K start and then about half of 4's getting ready to start K the next school year.

Both of these schools are owned by the same family and are just AWESOME! You have to go by the schools and take a tour. One is located at Hedgcoxe and Spring Creek and Coit and Spring Creek. Good Luck!

Check with the public schools, many have preschool programs. If you don't qualify for it you can always put them in a half day program, also offered by many schools, or check with a daycare that offers learning programs. I had my daughter in a daycare back when we lived in the country and they taught her so many things, she became advanced when she started school. Plano is full of them, you just have to call around.

My daughter goes to TLC off Hedgecoxe and Preston. If you want to start your son next fall, I will recommend you start him there in summer. TLC has great program during summer (will cost additional $60/month) where there's always something going on during the week - Live Animal Shows (small animals of course), Petting Zoo, FacePainting, Pony Rides, etc. And they allow kids to go on field trips if they are over 4. My daughter loves the fact that there's always something going on everyday, and she looks forward to that. Just thought this will be a good way for your son to get use to the enviroment, and when fall comes, it wouldn't be too difficult.
They also have really good program during fall and spring, my daughter learns so much. Of course the taachers there are great also.

Other benefits are - webcam that you can logon to see your child ($20 extra/month); once every month they will have parents night out where they will watch your kid from 6-12 on saturday night for $25.00. I like it because I know my daughter will be with someone she knows and I don't have to find sitters.

You do pay a little more compare to most of places around, but it's worth it.

I highly recommend the early childhood schools in the Plano ISD. My son went to Beaty Early Childhood School for 2 yrs and it was amazing. the teachers are superb at what they do -- they are truly talented for teaching children this young. And the kids have a great time learning there.
Depending on where you live in PISD, you are directed to one of the 3 early childhood schools in the district.
http://www.pisd.edu/schools/early.childhood/